Romans 5:12 KJV: Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so that death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.
What a great verse to hold in your heart! What does Paul mean by “one man sin entered into the world?” This is a reference to Adam’s sin in Genesis 3:6-7. Adam’s sin in Genesis 3 provides the foundation for the reason we live in a sin cursed world and need a redeemer in a first place. Dear Christian, do not throw this away! In the spirit of “modernity,” many have found it necessary to avoid drawing on and trusting the supernatural, particularly creation. Some will say, “It doesn’t matter what I believe about creation, if I have Jesus, that’s all that matters.” God forbid. It does matter. Your view of creation is a reflection of, or rather a manifestation of, your view of scripture itself. And the same author who said “In the beginning,” (Gen 1:1, John 1:1) also said “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). That author is the Holy Spirit; and His authority is absolute and trustworthy. If you don’t believe Genesis 1-3, tell me, at what point do you start believing?
Here in Romans, Paul confirms that in Adam we all sinned. We all have had a death sentence passed up on us. We all are sinners, and we’ve all sinned. (Rom 3:23) None can stand righteous before God. (Rom 3:10-12) This is important to understand! Hold this verse in your heart to remind you that scripture is sufficient: from beginning to end. Your cleverness is unnecessary; in fact, it will destroy the message. No human author would have conceived of a curse like this, nor redemption in Christ alone, by His righteousness alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, for His glory alone. Read Romans 5:6-19 during your devotion …and see the hope that we can offer others, hope that holds no meaning except that it is declared by the Word…the Word to which we must hold fast!